Cotswolds Overtourism

John, I guess the biggest question would be do the quieter areas want to become known? ; )

We certainly enjoyed our two days in the Cotswolds in 2023 but didn’t spend much time in the busiest villages since we had a car and could explore more of the countryside. All of it was so charming.

I lived in The Cotswolds for years and it’s okay but…..

Jean - there is plenty of room, but for some reason North American visitors always want to go to the Cotswolds, which is bewildering to me.

Jean - there is plenty of room, but for some reason North American visitors always want to go to the Cotswolds, which is bewildering to me.

That's because Rick Steves tells them to and a lot of people will only do what Rick suggests.

It’s like “all” visitors to Los Angeles want to go to Hollywood and Disneyland.

Trust me besides Grauman’s Chinese Theatre Hollywood is nothing but crappy tourist oriented shops and Scientology owned stores along Hollywood Boulevard.

It’s rather sad.

I live 1.5 miles East of Graumans.

Lastly, Disneyland is 30 miles South in Orange County, not Los Angeles County. Tourists should fly into John Wayne Airport not LAX if heading to Mouse House. Then again traffic is traffic so could be 20 minutes, could be 2 hours.

Welcome to the megalopolis.

Okay, I will confess — I am going to the Cotswolds next month. I’m in the airport right now waiting to take off for London, then I will be visiting a bunch of small towns in Wales and England, ending in Morton-in-Marsh. That was not my first choice for a village to stay in, but it seemed the most convenient since we won’t have a car. We plan to walk and/or bus to some of the villages.

Why am I going to the Cotswolds? Well, I spent a half day there back in 2002 (Chipping Camden and Stow-on-Wold). We This rented cars in those days and were passing through on the way from Bath to Chester. I was charmed by the villages and countryside and have been dying to get back and spend more time there. There are many other places in England I have been to and hope to get to. This happens to be one of them.

I don’t really remember what drew me to the Cotswolds back in 2002. It could have been Rick; I did buy his guide book. I had not yet discovered this forum, so no one here persuaded or dissuaded me from going.

As for tourism ruining the Cotswolds or anywhere else, that makes me sad. It is a problem in many, many places. I imagine the residents want the income, but not enough to ruin the character of their town. I have no answers; it is hard to find the middle ground. I support whatever measures each village/town/city puts in place to manage tourism, but I won’t stay away as long as I am able to play by their rules.

I have no plans to go to Bilbury, but I am taking a go Cotswolds tour on one of my five days. It sounds like a high-quality, ethical company, and I expect I will really enjoy it. The rest of the days we will be on our own and I hope not to be a nuisance.

Tourists should fly into John Wayne Airport not LAX if heading to Mouse House.

For most international tourists LAX is the only viable option to fly into if they want to visit Disneyland.

Fine JC, fly into LAX.

Then head off to the Magic Kingdom.

The UK is filled with many lovely villages and towns. Research ideas - a website called "Pictures of England" I think it sill exists, and users upload photos of towns and villages that are considered noteworthy. Another idea is to look at Londonist, MyLondon and Secret London, they often post Top 10 pretty towns or villages to see, etc. Youtube is overflowing with information, I like MemorySeekers - Two Brits who travel all over UK and more, and as they stay a few days, its gives good insight.

The county of Kent is overflowing with nice places to visit. Plus in and around the New Forest, and you can use the New Forest Hop on Hop off bus that travels the villages. Rochester is very nice, plus the Cathedral is worth the visit.

If you travel by rail and aren't renting a car, the bus systemsin UK are wonderful. I was in Wells and took a bus to Glastonbury very easily, and it was fun too see the countryside that way.

@Carroll, if you are going on the one dat tour with Go Cotswolds, you will be going to Bibury. I’ve been in the Cotswolds several times, yes there are tourists, but not enough that ou can’t enjoy it. I was there 2 1/2 days in December. There are cabs you can use.

Gee, imagine the pitchforks, thatching or stone cutting tools, and flaming torches that Cotswold protesters might display!

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSPSa-WjZFU1YHn-_JOnJwzf-rieKFjrecfKjgh3A-Fig&s=10

P.S. Rick Steves didn’t suggest, nor tell me, to post this.

I posted this in one of my threads -on Arundel- so I’ll repost if here, and add that Americans’ obsession with the Cotswolds should be no surprise (and no, I don’t think it has anything to do with Rick)

On the Reddit UK Travel board there, they constantly are puzzled as well.

I’m going to be blunt - I don’t think the British (nor should they) understand that we are not like Europeans- we get VERY, very little vacation time. So, it’s easy to understand why we as a whole would be attracted to the Cotswolds - it allows us to spend time in London while still experiencing British charm and loveliness. We have to work years to get 1-2 weeks vacation…it’s just not feasible for most of us to spend time in London & THEN get to less touristy areas further away. Most of us need to maximize our time - especially if it’s likely that it’s our only time

My biggest issue with my fellow Americans is the sheer laziness - they seem to do zero research at all before asking on various boards what they should see and do

The concept of “quaintness” often comes up on this Travel Forum, as a draw for many Americans. We don’t have anything like the Cotswolds at home, and I’d suggest that they present authentic Quaint Englishness to people looking for that.

National Parks in the U.S.A. have gotten swarmed with visitors the last few years, with suggestions they are getting “loved to death.” Starting during the Pandemic, Rocky Mountain National Park started requiring an entry reservation system, and limiting attendance during certain hours. Attractive destinations are popular, and now there may be more strategies implemented at any places where demand is exceeding the supply of space and infrastructure. Back doors for travel continue to be a way around overcrowding… until that “back door” gets so popular that it becomes a “front door” destination.

Robin, go Cotswolds offers two day tours. The one I chose does not go to Bilbury. Although perhaps the itineraries are not sent in stone. It is nice to know that if I end up in Bilbury, I can still enjoy it. Thanks.

Betsy - I can’t vouch for everyone here but I think most people are well aware that you in the US get much less holiday time than we do in Europe. But that still doesn’t explain why so many of you seem to have to go to the Cotswolds. There are many more beautiful rural areas just as close to London and quite a few a lot nearer. There are two National Parks (South Downs and New Forest) just as close. The Cotswolds only get the lower National Landscape designation. And there is Kent, the Chilterns, North Essex and Suffolk as well, all very close to London.

Why the Cotswolds? Good marketing, maybe. Popularity of RS tours helped. I do remember years ago it was really the thing here for people to book tours to walk the Cotswold Way. Didn’t Harry and Meghan have a house in the Cotswold’s? I’m sure that stirred up interest. Frankly, although I thought the Cotswolds charming, walking thru the pastures with horses, cows and all, I liked Cornwall better.

John, I also think it has to do with the laziness I referenced. So many just don’t seem to do any research - it’s as if they’ve never heard of a guide book. They’ve heard of the Cotswolds, and that’s enough for them

I’d actually like to spend some time there, but it doesn’t work for me due to the lack of public transportation….I could do a day tour, but I’d rather save my money for other side trips I’m taking:

We get British shows on our PBS (public tv), many of which don’t take place in the Cotswolds: All Creatures Great & Small, Marlow Murder Club…just to name two. I know there was a show that took place in Cornwall. For those Americans who do have the time, I’d think they’d want to venture to those areas. Maybe they are already, and just aren’t on-line.

All the Cotswolds tourists can’t all be American…

Betsy - I can’t vouch for everyone here but I think most people are
well aware that you in the US get much less holiday time than we do in
Europe. But that still doesn’t explain why so many of you seem to have
to go to the Cotswolds. There are many more beautiful rural areas just
as close to London and quite a few a lot nearer. There are two
National Parks (South Downs and New Forest) just as close. The
Cotswolds only get the lower National Landscape designation. And there
is Kent, the Chilterns, North Essex and Suffolk as well, all very
close to London.

Just to say…I’m with Betsy. It was also our experience. The disbelief was stunning. Over many years of travel to Europe it was often astoundingly difficult to convince many of the Europeans of many countries just how limited American vacation time was, and how many, many years one had to work to earn a couple of weeks. Sometimes it got just plain weird and I’m certain there were several who were sure we were lying. Oh well.

In a travel forum, it's certainly the case that you sign up to find out where others are traveling. It's also certainly the case that you see stereotypical photos of a country online and then want to travel there. All in all, this leads to something like "everyone wants to go to the Cotswolds." And I'm relatively certain, without having checked, that it's the same in European travel forums - everyone ends up wanting to travel to the same places.

Plus, there's FOMO (fear of missing out). Everyone's been there, so of course I have to go as well. It's happened to me too , and that's how I ended up in Varenna, which I regretted very much. Not that the scenery wasn't dreamy, but it just wasn't an Italian experience like I've had everywhere else before.

As I said, I've never read in a European travel forum, but what I notice in this forum is that tips from locals are often not taken as seriously as those from other US travelers. Maybe the local is right, but it doesn't matter because I'd rather go exactly where everyone else goes. I now consciously avoid Insta hotspots on my travels. Or I follow the advice of my landlord in Varenna and come by in the winter. Or I continue to go to Venice, as I have been doing for many many years, but move around in such a way that I don't encounter the crowds.

I've never been to Cinque Terre and am now quite ok with the fact that I missed it. There are so many other places that are just as beautiful, but thankfully still not on any FOMO list.

Happy Travels

I guess I start from the position that I have been to the US many times (although not now for a number of years), my son spent 18 months in San Diego doing an internship so I know about his work contract and I am a relatively frequent contributor to this and other travel message boards. So maybe I am more aware of US working practices than the average European.

We have just come back from 5 weeks in India (we're retired so no holiday time issues). We shared the second tour we did with 3 Americans, all of whom talked about the challenge of getting away for 2 weeks to take the tour.

Betsy - there is a steady flow of posters on here who want to see various parts of the country based on TV shows that they have seen. Poldark and Doc Martin have both driven tourists to Cornwall. Vera has increased the interest in Northumberland. And then there is Harry Potter etc. There are many more and there is a long running thread about British TV shows available in the US. So in many case, that's encouraging people to visit a wider range of locations across the UK, although I don't think that Cornwall needs many more! In contrast there isn't actually all that much based in the Cotswolds, although Clarkson's Farm has led to a few bizarrely wanting to go to his farm shop.

Mignon - I can't help but wholeheartedly agree about honey pot tourist sites. On our India trip we visited the Taj Mahal, which is a classic case. It is undoubtedly beautiful but the site is constantly packed and you constantly have to avoid people taking elaborate selfies in certain spots. It was nice but I was in the end underwhelmed. In contrast, on the first tour we went to the Ajanta caves, a remote site north of Aurangabad and saw frankly astonishing cave pictures done by Buddhists between 200BC and 400AD. It was completely jaw dropping for me and yet I'd never heard of the caves until I saw them on the itinerary for our tour.

John, I do think you might be more aware of how things work here than most other Brits. I think they’re coming from a good place - they’re proud of their country, and want to encourage others to see more than “just” the Cotswolds. The thing is, what you guys find beautiful may not be what we do. America is huge - for all the breathtaking scenery (hills, dates, moors, etc…) in the UK, there’s a good chance that many Americans coming to the UK have seen something similar. What we mostly have is suburbia …we don’t have any charming villages made of gorgeous Cotswold stones (or any stones, lol). So Americans, with our precious, brief, vacation time, see the Cotswolds as beautiful and unique…whereas to the British, the region is not unique at all

Betsy, if you look purely at the visual experience, I completely agree with you. Why should I visit something in Europe that I have in the US, bigger and better?

But I'm not interested in a purely visual experience. I have no idea if other Europeans feel the same way, so I can only speak for myself. First and foremost, it's important to me to experience the country and its people. You can't do that 100% as a tourist, I realize that. However, in Varenna, I realized that this isn't the Italy I know and love. It didn't feel at all like Italy like it did on all my other trips there. Before we went to Varenna, we were in Cannobio Lake Maggiore. There, I felt more like being in Italy.

To be fair, if you haven't been to Italy, the UK, or anywhere else in Europe, often, you don't realize that what you see there is only partly real. You only notice this when you are away from the hotspots and when you have been there often enough.
The same applies when I'm on vacation in the US. The country is neither Disney, NYC, nor the Grand Canyon. And having lived in North Carolina for a while has taught me something about North Carolina, but not about California.

So it will always remain a rather superficial encounter, and as a tourist, you're usually presented with something touristy... sometimes more, sometimes less. But setting out on the sometimes somewhat unpredictable journey, experiencing something where not everyone else has been, can show you real life in a country. You just have to want it.

Seriously, how can anyone resist wanting to go to places with intriguing, even cute names like Bourton-on-the-Water, Bibury, Stow-on-the-Wold,
Chipping Campden, Castle Combe, Cirencester, Painswick, Lower and Upper Slaughter, Moreton-in-Marsh, Wotton-under-Edge, Lechlade-on-Thames, Ascott-under-Wychwood, Adlestrop, Sapperton, Shipton-under-Wychwood, Cheltenham, Bradford-on-Avon, Minchinhampton, Bourton-on-the-Hill, Nailsworth, to name a few?

On a flight home from Heathrow several years ago, some Brits headed for Wyoming (with absolutely no threats of overcrowding, unless maybe Yellowstone in summer) were excited to be able to see cowboys. Really. In the Cotswolds, Americans may be expecting to see the area full of gnomes, Hobbits, wizards, and other things you can’t get at home.

the more you guys keep talking down the beautiful area known as the Cotswolds - where, as we were returning from jaunts around the country as kids, my father would always say, "This is the best bit", and he was right - the more people will be scared off and go to competing beauty spots like the Wirral and the South Downs, the more room for me and my family.

Can - you could apply a plan to go to places with interesting names to literally anywhere in the UK.

What about Upton Snodsbury (Worcestershire), Crackpot, Blubberhouses, Giggleswick and Wetwang (Yorkshire), Over Wallop, Middle Wallop and Nether Wallop (Hampshire), Pity Me (Durham) and three villages in North West England, all called Claughton and all pronounced differently?
And of course Llanfairpwylgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.

John, those are all delightful names. One other thought I have is that “Cotswolds” area alone is an exotic name to many Americans. The other counties, districts, and area names, on some level, aren’t completely unique:

Worcestershire - we have the sauce, although you’d find many folks’ pronunciation wrong

Yorkshire - we know about the pudding, which isn’t actually pudding

Hampshire - the New one is one of our original 13 states

Durham - university town whose storied Duke men’s basketball team is still currently in the tournament for this year’s championship

And of course Llanfairpwylgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch - OK, how do you fit that name on an envelope, for mailing purposes?!?

On a flight home from Heathrow several years ago, some Brits headed for Wyoming (with absolutely no threats of overcrowding, unless maybe Yellowstone in summer) were excited to be able to see cowboys. Really. In the Cotswolds, Americans may be expecting to see the area full of gnomes, Hobbits, wizards, and other things you can’t get at home.

Cyn, LOL about the gnomes, hobbits, and wizards!

Interesting comparing the Cotswolds tourist crowds to Yellowstone tourist crowds!

EDIT: We have the same problem with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park here. The park is being "loved" to death, by tourists who trample rare wildflowers, throw down trash, crowd the trails and park cars on the grass.

Llanfairpwylgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch - OK, how do you fit that name on an envelope, for mailing purposes?!?

The accepted short version of the name is much easier - Llanfair PG.

Why is there a long version? Read and understand: - 'The name was coined as a publicity gimmick in the 1860s by linking the names of Llanfairpwllgwyngyll ("St Mary's church in the hollow of the white hazel"), the nearby hamlet of Llantysilio Gogogoch ("the church of St Tysilio of the red cave"), and the chwyrn drobwll ("rapid whirlpool") between them.'

Interesting comparing the Cotswolds tourist crowds to Yellowstone tourist crowds

Rebecca, the Cotswolds don’t have bison, but the. there aren’t bears that might raid trash dumpsters, either

Read and understand:

Thanks, Nigel. The rapid whirlpool won’t be getting any mail, but the two churches likely would, along with residents of the hamlet L.G., so the abbreviation works better. Is there a sign for selfie-takers to stand by, then post their pictures on social media?

yes there is a selfie spot

Bibury over tourism

Interesting article on this subject from the Guardian

People have been invading Bibury as long as I can remember. I used to go there to feed the ducks and have a meal with my parents - but I've stopped going there, over 20 years ago. Nobody goes there anymore -- it is too crowded.

As an ex-pat I can see both sides. I do love the Cotswolds and have been a number of times. I take my American friends there because its exactly what they think England should look like and it never disappoints. There are also numerous small group tour companies that provide a great experience around the area, which makes touring much easier without a car.

Having said that, I did get off the beaten path during my last trip (Just got back), We ended up in the New Forest, staying at the Montague arms in Beaulieu. An upscale English traditional hotel with beautiful decor and grounds and a great pub next door. Great walks and all the ponies and donkeys wandering the villages - it was just delightful.

I also ventured to Stamford in Lincolnshire and visited Burghley House. What a hidden gem! I was blow away by the artwork in this house. Incidentally, I noticed Stamford is highlighted in The official BRITAIN magazine this month, which by the way is a great magazine for places to visit in the UK.

I'm very glad we visited the Cotswolds last summer when we had a car. I'm even more glad we only spent a total of about 4 hours there, the highlight of which was the brief hike up to the Broadway Tower from the town below. Very scenic, but we visited many lovely areas in England.

I will say that a visit to the Cotswolds wouldn't be complete IMO without a visit to the Man Cave in Broadway. It's an absolute hoot.